The Increasing Impact of Toxic Digital Experiences on Young People

Toxic masculinity, a collection of beliefs or behaviours, rooted in traditional male roles but taken to an extreme, encourages the idea that “manliness” equates to power, homophobia, anti-feminism and aggression, among others and can result in serious social consequences.

It is an example of how the spread of misinformation, through social media platforms, can have far-reaching outcomes. Social media has, without doubt, transformed the world in which we live. It provides easy access to a wealth of information, entertainment and educational content that can enhance all our lives. However, the challenges and negative influences created by false and harmful content are becoming increasingly evident and concerning.

Social media, as well as different forms of art such as streaming platforms, can be used for both entertainment and education. The recently released Netflix series, Adolescence, now streaming in Luxembourg, is an example of this. The four-part series has encouraged many to face the realities and dangers of misinformation, the increasing influence of digital misogyny, on young boys in particular, and the shocking ease with which they can be sucked into this way of thinking.

Adolescence’s main character, thirteen-year-old Jamie Miller (played by Owen Cooper), is arrested for the murder of a female classmate when we are first introduced to him. His childlike demeanour and angelic, innocent features seem incompatible with the awful crime of which he is accused. He is a “normal” child, in a “normal” home, with caring parents who seem to be trying to do their best. They are blindsided by the shock of the early morning arrest.

The thought-provoking drama underlines the ease with which toxic influencers can gain access and infiltrate the minds of young people. It may be set in the UK but, as we all know, the internet knows no boundaries. It could easily be any regular, young Luxembourger falling under the spell of the misogynistic and toxic content that normalises violence against women and girls. The series taps into the fear of many parents seeking to protect their children. Words such as “manosphere”, “incel” and “toxic masculinity”, as well as emojis highlighted in the drama, unfamiliar to many until recently, are now being discussed and debated in homes across the country.

Controversial online influencers, such as Andrew Tate, promote a misogynistic viewpoint to young boys, by relating the narrative that society, and especially women, are against them. Tate has stated that women should bear the responsibility for being sexually assaulted and that success is dependent on a person’s wealth and the dominance of women. He has been barred from most social media platforms including X (formerly known as Twitter), before being reinstated on the Elon Musk-owned platform, from which he now preaches misogynistic, right-wing views to his ten million followers. His messages are deemed to be toxic and are being repeated and listened to, despite him being investigated, along with his brother, Tristan, into allegations of rape and human trafficking, which they both deny. On St Patrick’s Day 2025, President Trump hosted Irish mixed martial artist, Conor McGregor, who was recently convicted of rape in a civil jury case (which he is appealing). In the White House briefing room, McGregor espoused right wing and anti-immigration views to the press. It is a sobering thought that many young boys, on their journey to becoming men, look up to and admire these so-called “celebrities”.

According to a report by the Children’s Commissioner in the UK, there are correlations between early exposure to pornography, frequent consumption of pornography and the development of harmful attitudes and behaviour. The report underlined that 10% of nine-year-olds, 27% of eleven-year-olds and 50% of thirteen-year-olds in the UK had viewed pornography. Most worryingly, young people, when first introduced to pornography, do not typically search for these sites - the sites come to them, popping up when the child innocently searches for something else. The report added that 79% of young adults aged eighteen to 21 had seen pornography involving sexual violence before turning eighteen. One can conclude that this results in young boys (and girls) having unrealistic expectations of how to act and behave sexually. The phenomenon of sending indecent images through Snapchat, that many teens take for granted and expect, is yet another example of the harmful effects of internet use among young people.

Another talking point is the rise of what is known as the “manosphere”. This is a collection of websites, blogs and online fora, each of which promotes its own view on topics such as masculinity, anti-feminism, misogyny, incel communities and anti-LGBTQ+ views, among others. The various communities in the manosphere collection can attract young people via self-help or mental-wellness groups, but the underlying thread is one of promoting misogynistic and far-right beliefs.

Adolescence also raises the issue of the “80/20 rule”, i.e. the theory, put forward by toxic influencers, that 80% of women are attracted to 20% of men. The term “incel” (involuntary celibate) is used to describe a man deemed unattractive to the opposite sex and unable to find a romantic or sexual partner. Incels blame women for their lack of success in this area and have a deep-rooted hatred for them. Unfortunately, incels, some barely out of childhood, have acted on this hatred and have committed serious attacks including assault and even murder on women and young girls.

Many adults watching the series were taken by surprise by the various meanings behind emojis. Many of us are familiar with the red heart symbolising love, but may not know that a purple heart means “I am horny”, yellow means “I am interested, are you interested”, and a pink heart means “I am interested, but not in sex”. In the second episode of Adolescence, the “red pill” is explained as “I see the truth - It is a call to action by the manosphere”. A dynamite emoji signifies an exploding red pill which is used to describe an incel. The “100” emoji (used by many of us innocently) describes the 80/20 rule - Jamie recounted that the girl he is accused of murdering emphasised he would always be an incel when she sent him the “100” emoji.

How can adults protect children from being drawn into this toxic culture? How do we prevent hate-filled messages from manipulating young people? How can we combat outside influences that are so prevalent in mediums in which adults did not grow up and may not even understand?

TV dramas such as Adolescence have been a catalyst that have sparked conversations and discussions about the appeal of influencers, as well as internet use and safety. Parents and guardians, who have not previously done so, are informing themselves of the realities of the online world, which is the first important step in protecting their children.

Navigating the teenage years has never been easy and the arrival and evolution of social media has made it even more difficult. Almost all pre-teens and young teenagers have smartphones, giving them instant access to a plethora of both regulated and unregulated content. Social media is a huge factor in the lives of children - for both educational purposes and for communication with family and peers. It is here to stay. However, as a result, children’s perspectives are no longer confined to the local area and the prospect of being swayed by views not typically held by the family have increased. An upset child can easily turn to a “friend” online and very quickly algorithms can come into play and send them into unchartered territory. Today’s teenagers are vulnerable: they are being shown online how the “ideal” person should look and act. There is less tolerance for those perceived as being “different” and those that see themselves as such often search for like-minded support online. Parents may think their child has found a peer group, without realising the potential negative consequences.

It is very easy to call for a limit to a child’s access to social media, but life is not easy. Adults may have to look at their own social media use before trying to limit that of their children. Parental controls, to monitor and limit what a child looks at and does online, can be used to regulate what can be viewed. However, children can be very smart and it is important to not get complacent, even when controls are in place. It is easy to create a fake account, leading unsuspecting parents to think erroneously that they are monitoring their child’s social media account, when in fact they are only seeing what the child wants them to see.

Other forms of advised online protection include discussing basic digital hygiene (behavioural habits online), as well as supporting interpersonal relationships and real-life interests rather than digital time. Help is available (see below) for those that are concerned about the young people in their lives, e.g. boys that are beginning to alienate themselves or exhibit a change in language and behaviour, especially towards women and girls.

Luxembourg Initiatives

In Luxembourg, there are a number of initiatives and support groups that can help: Bee Secure https://www.bee-secure.lu/fr/.aims to promote a positive digital culture and raise young people's awareness of the risks associated with internet use. It runs training programmes for children and teenagers, has a helpline and offers information, advice and support on issues related to online security.

Bee Secure is hosting a parent information session to “answer all your questions related to the topics of safe and responsible use of media and technology”, in French and English, on Monday 28 April 2025 at Haus vun de Kanner in Luxembourg-Grund (12 Bisserwee), starting at 18:00. Information evenings will also take place in Esch-sur-Alzette and Dudelange in May 2025. For further information, see https://www.bee-secure.lu/fr/evenements/.

Kanner-Jugendtelefon (KJT) offers help, advice and counselling services to children, adolescents and anybody who is involved in their lives. KJT can be contacted via:
 https://www.kjt.lu/en/ or by tel: 116 -111.

Luxembourg’s Ministry of Education, Children and Youth has issued guidelines on protecting children from violence on the internet, together with details of supportive websites. For further information, see https://men.public.lu/en/systeme-educatif/droits-enfant/protection-violence/protection-internet.html.